Do you eat your exercise calories?

blazeybug87

Just wondering? I've done 750 cals today in exercise and am really reluctant to eat them!!!

kirstineu

I think it all depends if you are trying to lose or maintain your weight. For me I had been eating most of my calories back but there was no loss. I now rarely eat more than 1600 and the weight is moving, slowly but surely.

wellbert

If I do, I gain weight. But my lifting/athletic performance is much better.

Give it a try and see.

Sabine_Stroehm

I don't consider it that way. I eat enough to fuel my body. Some days I work out. Some days I don't. I eat the same calories (give or take) regardless.

blazingmissp

I don't. I want to lose weight so I eat less than my bmr by about 500-700 cals/day, but if you want to maintain your weight then you should eat those back.

Krizzo87

Nope...if I do that, I kind of feel like I've cancelled out my exercise. I just started this a couple weeks ago, but the first couple days, I ate more, and noticed the scale didn't move as much the next morning as it did the morning after a really good day of exercise and NOT eating my earned calories!!

blazeybug87

Okay, my BMR is 1730 (according to various websites) and MFP gives me 1200 per day so I am already 500 odd less per day.

So are you guys saying that for you, if you eat your exercise cals you don't lose anything even though your cals have already been adjusted by mfp to allow weightloss?

Kinda new and a bit confused lol

Cheers x

SeminoleFan0514

I don't, I asked my doctor for a plan for me and she told me not to eat the exercise calories, so I go by what she says for me to do!

JenniLisette

i exercies at night, and the most i allow myself to burn is 600 cals, and i eat fruit of an egg to recover at least half of my calories burned, however i wont eat my cals back if i burn less thatn 200 cals

FrugalMomsRock75

Yup. I eat every last one of them, usually... sometimes more.

GingerRunner

Okay, my BMR is 1730 (according to various websites) and MFP gives me 1200 per day so I am already 500 odd less per day.

So are you guys saying that for you, if you eat your exercise cals you don't lose anything even though your cals have already been adjusted by mfp to allow weightloss?

Kinda new and a bit confused lol

Cheers x

There are so many opinions about eating your calories back. I have always been of the midset that the whole POINT of workouts during weight loss was to increase the burn OFF of calories. It seemed logical to me--calories in/ calories out. Increase the "out" and weight comes off. However, more and more studies (including many articles on here) are showing that the LONG term affect on dipping too low is a "starvation mode" on your body and that the short term weight loss will be offset (eventually) by a sluggish metabolism and difficulties later in true and long term weight loss. I'm in the over 40 group and I once lived in MICROSCOPIC calories and NOW I am noticing that I can't budge the weight. .... Not sure, as I'm no scientist, but the idea of a sufficient amount of calories to sustain basic metabolic functions no matter of weight goals seems very reasonable. I'm eating mine back.

valerierackly74

i found that unless i eat around 1400 cals per day regardless of my exercise i don't loose. most of the time i try to net 1350-1400 including exercise. if i don't eat back some of my calories after only a few weeks i burn out and want to give up as i've no energy and so it doesn't seem like its worth feeling so low. so i'd say you should try to eat your exercise calories, or at least some of them. MFP does account for exercise in your weightloss plan.

swhite1209

They are saying.... If MFP says ur daily calories should be 1200 that u should eat the 1200 but if u do exercise that allows you extra 200 then they dont eat their extra 200 because they dont lose as much. It is up to you whether to eat those extras. Ur daily allowance is 1200. I dont eat my extra calories. It says I can eat a lot more because of exercise but I rarely eat above my 1200. If I do its under 1300. But i rarely do that.

1holegrouper

I appreciate this question! I'm noticing that myfitnesspal usually OVERESTIMATES what calories you have actually burned- sometimes by a lot. When I run I use a GPS and heart monitor it knows my weight and measures calories burned by my heart rate throughout the run vs speed and distance. In other words, it has more variables to go on. So on a 2 mile run, for example MFP may say I burned 318 calories but my Garmin says I burned 278. Over time that can really add up.

Also I'm thinking that instead of ignoring all calories burned by cardio exercise I should eat halfway through them. This should keep my energy levels up and help prevent burnout, etc. That's what I'm going to try anyhow.

Edit; I'm a bit jealous of those folks who have enough willpower to totally ignore their exercise calories burned and stick to their original calorie goal! Part of this is about listening to your body though. Sometimes you need more fuel :bigsmile:

sdc225

No, I never eat them.

Amber50lbsDown

I have tried it both ways and I find that eating some of them when Im hungry works for me. When I wasnt I didnt lose that fast and when I ate them all I didnt gain but didnt lose so now I eat some when Im hungry or I save them for the weekend and drink them lol

You just have to see what works for you, its all trial and error because its different for eveyone. GL

jsfoley1

I try not to eat my exercise calories, but sometimes I just need them. I have not been losing for a long time. I may stop eating my excersise calories all together and see what happens. I had lost 35 calories since last April, and now I stay the same when I check in with my nutritionist. Very discouraging.

sharleengc

I try to. Somedays it happens and some that don't. You are supposed to eat them because if you are at 1200 you are approx 500 less to lose weight. If you burn 700 cals, you are now at a 1300 deficite for the day....thats' why you are supposed to eat them back.

Now me, I know I can't always eat that much, especially now as my stomach has shrunk. I try to keep my exercises at 200-300 calories, then I am usually able to eat most of them back. Eating back my workout calories has not affected my progress at all.

Now, my husband refuses to eat his exercise calories and he's still loses.

FrugalMomsRock75

Okay, my BMR is 1730 (according to various websites) and MFP gives me 1200 per day so I am already 500 odd less per day.

So are you guys saying that for you, if you eat your exercise cals you don't lose anything even though your cals have already been adjusted by mfp to allow weightloss?

Kinda new and a bit confused lol

Cheers x

I eat mine and lose... I'm about 155 ish, I'm on 1470 calories a day (I set the # myself), and I eat back exercise calories. I am slowly but surely losing... but slow and steady WINS.

mfp sets you up at a loss, so even eating your exercise calories, you maintain that deficit of calories needed to lose. If you don't eat them back, you may set yourself up for an unhealthy loss of muscle instead of fat. Or stalled weightloss because your body holds on to what you give it.

blazeybug87

I think what I am confused about is people saying that they don't lose weight if they eat them back?? If they did then that would just mean that they are back at whatever calorie deficit MFP set for them in order to lose weight....so they should still lose?

I am not going to eat mine back but I am still really confused by the above...

EDIT: HAHA and in the time it took to get my head around what I was trying to type loads more people have replied clearing up the confusion

spinedocmfp

The site is designed to eat back your calories. You should follow the advice of the site and monitor your progress over a few weeks (not days). If you are losing, then keep it up. If you are not you could consider eating back 1/2 the calories or so. Keep in mind that the calorie burn calculation of the machines is probably 30 to 50% greater than actual. So if the treadmill says 150, it is likely closer to 100. Your 750 may be 500.

Bobby_Clerici

The MFP system is set up for you to eat them, so if you're on some other program, do as you please.

IronPlayground

Basically, if you are using the calorie limit given to you by MFP then you should eat back your exercise calories. If you've calculated your own and factored in exercise, then you wouldn't eat them back.

montana_girl

Yup. I eat every last one of them, usually... sometimes more.

^^This is me too!

I found out early on that I am one of the lucky people that HAD to eat my exercise calories otherwise my weight loss stalled.

That being said, everyone is different so everyone's weight loss is different. If you haven't been eating back your exercise calories (but still eating enough to fuel your body) and are losing weight, then continue with what you are doing. If you feel tired/rundown or your weight loss stalls, then trying eating back at least 1/2 of the calories you burn.

The hardest part of any weight loss program is figuring out what does and doesn't work for you. Sometimes you have to experiment to figure out. And never look at a gain as a failure, but as another step in the learning process. :flowerforyou:

TeaBea

I eat back every single exercise calorie for 3 reasons

1. I am trying to lose FAT, not just weight. If my calories are too low ... I lose muscle too.
2. I use a heart rate monitor, so I know my calorie burns are not grossly exaggerated.
3. That is how MFP is designed. The calorie deficit is built in before exercise. Not eating them back is INCREASING the deficit (see reason #1).

michellematteson

My reply from another post:

Short answer: yes and no.

Long answer: I have MFP set to lose a half a pound each week. Right now that is 1770 calories per day, and I eat up to that each day. I generally do about 200-300 calories burned through exercise each day. I see those calories as making my weight loss go faster so I don't eat them back. So in essence, if I loose a half a pound each week, I'm on goal, if it's a full pound lost, then the hard work with exercise is worth it.

Now, over time I have found that if I burn more, like 400+ calories in a day, I drop below my BMR and I'm flipping starving the next day. It makes it harder to stay on my goal. One week I actually lost 1.8 pounds by not eating my exercise calories like I normally do, but I was very hungry and tired for most of the week. So the faster weight loss comes with a the chance of overeating and being miserable. I rather stick with staying above my BMR and be happy.

stephvaile

Okay, my BMR is 1730 (according to various websites) and MFP gives me 1200 per day so I am already 500 odd less per day.

So are you guys saying that for you, if you eat your exercise cals you don't lose anything even though your cals have already been adjusted by mfp to allow weightloss?

Kinda new and a bit confused lol

Cheers x

mfp as you realise as already taken calories of for you to lose if you are uncomfortable only eat half back but if you don,t eat any then you will not be getting enough to support your exercise and we all know exercise helps burn calories more effeciently

gsager

Just wondering? I've done 750 cals today in exercise and am really reluctant to eat them!!!

Hell yes, I eat all my exercise calories, have lost 21 lbs and never had to go hungry. Don't make things harder than they have to be.

GingerRunner

I eat back every single exercise calorie for 3 reasons

1. I am trying to lose FAT, not just weight. If my calories are too low ... I lose muscle too.
2. I use a heart rate monitor, so I know my calorie burns are not grossly exaggerated.
3. That is how MFP is designed. The calorie deficit is built in before exercise. Not eating them back is INCREASING the deficit (see reason #1).

Word

samantha0176

i do, i just started 1.5months ago and my scale is finally moving in the right direction....also when i was going for 1200 cal i was always starving and was able to do it for more than few weeks with no loss and then i'd go crazy on a binge spree because i was not eating much, depriving myself, and not losing ....so i gained...and so on...

now at about 1500-1700calories i feel satisfied, i have been on it since may1st...and still going ! i lost 5lb of the 7 i gained from my last cazy eating spree and 7 inches...and i think i can definalty maintain this for a long time....it has been 6wks and i am still going strong...o i eat a peice of cake and chocolate bar here and there..i go with the 80/20....but nothing crazy...this is the first time i was able to stick to it for more than 2.5wks....i am losing 1/2 a week and i am happy with that...i need to lose 15lb to get to my goal...slow and steady wins the race, right?:o)

steph124ny

I eat them back because I would be a miserable witch if I didn't. I could NEVER maintain 1200 calories a day for the rest of my life, so I'm not going to try that now. I net around 1450 a day which is a number I picked based on my BMR and TDEE. There are other websites that can calculate that for you. I'm comfortable with the amount I'm eating and I'm still losing. Slowly losing....but losing. I have to do this forever, so I'm not going to make myself miserable and hungry all the time, kwim?